Judge not lest ye be judged
by PetraS
Summary: Sarah had never partnered with a more peculiar and ominous individual than this man who called himself The Judge. Most of the New Edeners were not hostile to her anymore including Joseph, but this strange being was always out of reach. Maybe she was wrong for thinking they would get along since they both were slaves to the will of the Father. Male Judge/Female Security Captain.
1. Chapter 1: New Companion

The Security Captain, Sarah, sighed as she leaned backwards on a huge rock someplace to the west of the destroyed statue of The Father. She had been running around the whole day scavenging for ethanol and food as Prosperity were on their last supplies. Her colleague, Thomas Rush had not been in contact for the last few days and Carmina had taken separate missions away from Prosperity too. At the same time the Highwaymen continued to bother local residents with small grenades or stealing their supplies. She was doing all she could, but it just wasn't enough.

"Hrrrrr..." A voice growled beside her, jerking her brown eyes from the sharp fire into the dull abyss like holes of Judge's mask. He pointed at an apple in his hand and Sarah found her stomach lurching from a bad memory of a humongous bear that had chased her. She had not recovered from that episode and the nightmares had barely subsided. She smiled tightly before shaking her head in refusal.

She didn't know what to make out of her companion. He was definitely the most strange person she had ever come across in her life after Joseph Seed. Yet, he was so much like her - mute and forever quiet, but while she found herself drawing people to her, the Judge did quite the opposite. Many of the New Edeners were evidently frightened of him - the children avoided him sheepishly, the men kept the conversation short and the women flatly ignored him. Only the animals adored him - the cougars, Apples and Strawberry were always excited whenever he would return and the sheep would flock to him for that one minute of love and attention he bestowed upon them. Sarah would feel truly conflicted in those instances - he was indeed a very difficult person to read.

"Hrrrrrrrrrrrr..." He growled again, this time deeper and firmer - the apple held up to her face. In his other hand was a crumpled piece of paper with a scribble covering almost the entire page. _It is not blessed. _

Her eyebrows shot up in confusion before she pieced together what he meant to convey. And with a primal hunger that she didn't know existed within her made her rip the apple from his gloved hand and latch her teeth upon. When was the last time she had fed herself? Prosperity barely had any food for themselves let alone for an outsider like her so she would always refuse Kim whenever she asked. But while she had fooled everyone in Prosperity, she could not fool this man who saw everything.

"Thank you." She said, slightly embarrassed that she had ate the core of the apple too. He only hummed in response, his hand stroking the fur of the white wolf that lounged by his feet. She realised now that somehow animals would sense him even in the wild and would follow him as if they longed for his company. A smile lingered on her lips as the wolf whined in pleasure at being stroked behind the ears.

"Animals really like you." The statement had left her lips before she remembered who was in front of her. She wondered if she had offended him by making a statement knowing he had very little means to respond to her. It was what had kept her quiet around him - she would hate to put someone in an uncomfortable position.

But he nodded, the holes of the mask piercing into her brown orbs. "Hmmmm..."

The fact that he did not ignore her urged her to speak again. "When I was with Carmina . . . we were always hounded by wolves in this region." He merely looked at her, his head tilted as if he waited for her to carry on speaking.

She struggled with the next words, but allowed them to pass quickly. "What I mean to say is . . . is that . . . _it'snicetonotbechasedaroundbywolvesanymore_!_"_

Sarah felt as if she had slapped him. Not only was she speaking to him knowing he was a mute, but now she was also speaking too quickly for him to understand. Why was she hellbent on ruining this partnership knowing how badly Prosperity needed New Eden? She needed their help - she needed to play the middleman here yet here she was potentially pissing off the strongest and probably one of the most influential member of New Eden.

An apology was just slipping from her mouth, when the Judge grabbed her hand that was absent of her handgun. A gasp escaped her lips at the unexpected power that surrounded her - she had only felt this around Joseph Seed when he had led her to the apple tree. But The Judge exuded a different kind of power - it was violent yet caged and she wondered if maybe it was about to unleash upon her. Her other hand was reaching for the handgun then, but The Judge had retreated - her glove being the only thing he took with him.

"Um um . . . that's - that's my glove . . ."

"Hmppppppphhhhhhhhh..." He growled, as if telling her to be patient. The glove was swiped under the wolf's muzzle a few times before it was chucked in her direction. She barely had time to catch it before the mutt pounced upon her taking her to the ground with its weight.

She yelped, her body tight with fear and tears hanging from the corner of her eyelashes as teeth bared in her sight - the saliva dripping from its mouth to her face. This was it - her end. Normally she would have kicked this wolf off her with her legs or used her handgun, but this was the king wolf - the largest she had ever seen in Hope County. Its weight was crushing her to the point where she felt her face turn blue and her attacker's image blur.

But then the wolf having sensed her fear moved off her to the side, but not before slobbering all over her face with his tongue. She cringed and sat up with a loud gasp just as her companion made a strange sound. A sound which she never thought she would hear from him.

"Heh heh heh..." He chuckled, his shoulders shaking from amusement and strangely enough his scary wooden mask that normally looked eerie now seemed the opposite. This whole thing was giving her a whiplash especially the mutt who couldn't stop licking her everywhere.

"What was the point of this?" She glared at him, wiping the saliva from her hand on the grass only for the wolf to smear more on again. She sighed in slight annoyance and repeated her question to The Judge with a fierce glare. "What was the point of this?"

He growled and the wolf immediately left her side with a whine. Using his arrow, he penned a note on the paper using the dried ashes. _Wolves won't attack. Wolves are friends. _

_Of course!_ She slapped herself mentally at her own stupidity. He had taken her glove and familiarised the wolf with her scent. The wolf had licked her as they often did with their mates or pack members. He had solved her problem and fear of wolves in a second and she had doubted his sincere actions.

"I - I didn't realise. I am sorry."

He shrugged blasé as if he had been wronged many times in the past before. She sighed at the uncomfortable silence that fell between them again wanting more than anything for Carmina to be here. The girl could talk on hours with him - calling him Godfather and asking him questions even though he never gave a clear answer back. Yet, it never deterred her. Carmina didn't care who her Godfather was - she still admired him and complained about her parents to him. He always shrugged and growled. On repeat.

But he also protected. He also listened and sometimes, he also responded.

**Author's Note: This story and the universe is independent from my other fanfiction, Sing for Me. In this story, the Deputy or The Judge is male and The Security Captain is female. I know that Security Captain also doesn't speak, but it would be so difficult to write a story with two main protagonists who don't speak - so for the sake of this story, the Security Captain can speak. Thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2: Broken

It was a shocking sight for everyone when their new helper, Sarah arrived in Prosperity with a ton of components and a truck with a canister filled with Ethanol. But what was more shocking was the person who accompanied her - The Judge looking ever so eerie. Nick's normal hip attitude dampened and the welcoming smile Kim wore turned grim.

The other specialists including Grace sensed the discomfort and the air of unpredictability that came hand in hand with this person. After all, he was the reason they had survived the Peggies - he had been their hope, but they had lost him to the enemy.

Kim seized a hold of Sarah's arm, leading her to the garage where Nick stood with his arms crossed. "Hey lady! We don't want Peggies around here. How many times must I remind you?"

Sarah sighed, knowing the bad blood between the members of Prosperity and her new companion, but also knowing who she took orders from. "Rush has said there is only one way to fight the Highwaymen. We need New Eden and their help. This isn't about you or them anymore - it's about the children. Do you want them to live their entire life fearing and hiding just like you did once?"

Nick threw a spanner in the box with a clang. "I don't fucking care! They can change their name to New Eden or whatever - they are still those bastard peggies who tried to steal from us! The Ryes won't forget!"

Sharky appeared, a flamethrower in his hand as he eyed The Judge who looked uncomfortable by the door. "Hey man - err . . . this is the same guy who once helped us, you know. Er, fuck yeah who likes the smelly Peggies, but I can't help it - he's still my Deputy who I had a sick time burning the Angels with. I don't know . . ." He added hurriedly when Kim and Nick glared at him furiously.

Kim locked eyes with Sarah again. "Look, Sarah. I understand you don't understand this whole situation as well as we do. But we don't want Carmina around these Peggies - hell, I know the girl has dealt with enough. Losing Nick to those bastard Highwaymen and seeing people she loved drop dead left and right - she just doesn't need this in her life."

"I can choose for myself, Mom!" Carmina blared, stomping down the stairs and heading straight for The Judge. "Godfather!" She cried as she flung her arms tight around him not caring that he stiffened under her touch. It hurt her to see the way he was always treated by her parents - She had read her mother's diary entries which detailed her difficult pregnancy and how the Deputy had become their only hope. When the bomb had exploded, her father had gone berserk - leaving the bunker to go Deputy hunting. After 17 years, they had come face to face with a completely broken man who hid behind a mask and refused to leave the peggies. Her parents felt that he had betrayed them.

But Carmina knew that her Godfather - the man from before was still there when he gave her a slight pat on the shoulder and she felt him ease just a little bit under her touch.

"Let go of her right now!" Nick cried, a handgun pointed suddenly at his former friend. "I don't care how many favours you did for me in the past - you are one of them now." His voice cracked at the end revealing the agony he felt at being betrayed by him. He would have given up his life for this man - this Deputy who had saved him, Kim and his offspring. Now he hid behind a mask - he hid with the fucking peggies because he was too scared to face them anymore.

"Fuck man, you crazy?" Sharky intercepted, taking the gun off his hand. "Man, I never thought I'd say this, but Nick, bro - you can't be pointing a gun at _Dep_ \- he's our man - will always be-!"

"He's a peggie now!"

The Judge grunted, shaking off Carmina and heading towards the exit. While he held his head high with dignity, no one missed the slack of his shoulders and the air of sadness that followed him.

Sarah felt as if she had been punched in the gut. It had been her decision to bring The Judge with her all the way to Prosperity. He had insisted on waiting a small distance away, but she had been urged by Carmina to make sure he was brought inside on arrival. And the results of this had been disastrous - he was rejected by his old friends and once again left alone.

"Next time you need supplies, _you_ come and find me!" Sarah vehemently ordered. "If this is the way _friends_ of mine will be treated, then I will not return here again."

Not caring to listen to any more from them, she slammed the key of the truck in Nick's hand before storming out. Carmina was hot in her heels, but she sensed Kim blocking her from following. She didn't care at this point.

When she stepped into the darkness of the evening, a wave of loneliness hit her. Rush was gone - Garrett had died for no reason and her friend, Carmina couldn't even choose to love whoever she willed. And her companion - he probably wanted nothing to do with her and was probably already on his way up north to the New Edeners.

But when she was about to step onto a quad bike, a figure grunted in warning from the front of the vehicle. The Judge was bent over with a repair torch - smoke billowing from the engine as he proceeded to fix the ride. It was true - he really was returning back to his home and no longer wished to help her.

Sarah was undoubtedly sad that their journey had to end with him facing so much rejection and hate from her side. "I - I really shouldn't have forced you into coming here." She whispered quietly, reloading her handgun to avoid looking at those forever empty holes of his mask. But after today, she was sure there was a bigger hole - deep in his heart.

And unlike his usual grunts, he didn't even bother indicating to her that he was listening. She carried on, wishing him to know that he was not completely unwelcome here. "Carmina . . . really adores you. When I was with her, she spoke about you all the time. It really doesn't matter to her who you once were . . . and who you are now. You're her Godfather and that's enough."

And then once again, Sarah was left speechless. She had been surprised to see him laughing before, but it staggered her when she heard small whimpering and shaky sobbing. It was a strange sort of sobbing, especially since he continued to fix the quad bike as the dull sounds travelled to her. His body was alert and did not shake even when the final whimper that escaped him was louder than the others. He even cried in dignity.

And if it was any other person, Sarah would have patted their shoulder or engulfed them in a hug. But this was a man who hated physical contact. And she decided to respect that when she leaned against the quad bike and started to clean her gun with oil.

And only one thought came to her mind then.

The Judge was a broken man.

**Author's Note: I know Nick and Kim would probably never say this in the game, but I really had to create a scene where they felt betrayed by the Deputy. Also, condolences to all those people and families affected in the New Zealand Mosque Massacre - thoughts and prayers for all of them. Thank you for reading! **


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